Debate on Jarvis bike lanes set to continue

The debate over bike lanes on Jarvis is set to rage on Wednesday morning after a Tuesday night council meeting went into overtime.

Cyclists have been mobilizing for several weeks since Councillor John Parker (Don Valley West) won approval by a committee of a plan to “rescind its decision related to the bicycle lanes on Jarvis Street.” That plan requires approval by City Council.

On Tuesday, Councillor Mike Layton (Trinity-Spadina) — who rides to work on his bicycle as his dad, Jack Layton, did before him — introduced a petition by 2,001 residents, calling on the city to maintain the bicycle lane that the city installed last year on Jarvis Street between Charles Street and Queen Street East.

Spontaneously, cheers and applause erupted from most of the people packing the sweltering council chamber — including 50 people standing around the top ring of the chamber, many of them sporting bike helmets and “Save Jarvis” buttons — which turned into a standing ovation.

Councillor Frances Nunziata, the speaker, threatened to clear the chamber in a bid to restore order to the room.

Miro Wagner, 24, said he rode to City Hall on Tuesday on his bicycle from his home at Dufferin and Bloor streets — along bike lanes on Harbord and St. George-Beverley Streets — to show his support for the bike lane.

“The biggest issue is lack of consultation,” Mr. Wagner added. “The way they dealt with it, put Jarvis down at the end of the agenda, was really underhanded. I think it’s really sad that the only way we can show how we feel is to come to theis meeting and not be able to say anything.”

Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, the chair of the city’s Works committee, said he never supported bike lanes on Jarvis Street and believes cyclists should use Sherbourne Street. Andy Koropeski, acting general manager of transportation,told council on Wednesday that the city plans to rebuild Sherbourne Street, which he acknowledged to be in very poor condition. He said he believes the city can install physically separated bike lanes on Sherbourne in 2012.

Mr. Minnan-Wong said that new physically-separated bike lanes on the Bloor Street Viaduct and Wellesley Street, as well as a pilot project for physically-separated bike lanes on Richmond Street, mean that, even if Jarvis is scrapped, cyclists will be better off in the end.

But Andrea Garcia, a spokeswoman for the Toronto Cyclists’ Union, disagrees.

“Cyclists in this city shouldn’t be put in a position that in order to get a higher quality type of infrastructure, they need to give up a piece that’s existing,” she said.

A staff report on Jarvis Street this year found that, after the city installed bike lanes on the street, the number of cyclists tripled from 300 to 900 cyclists during an eight-hour period. By contrast, 13,000 motorists used Jarvis before the bike lane was put in, a number that remained the same after the bike lanes went in. The bike lanes added two minutes to the average car trip on Jarvis, the report found.

Mr. Koropeski said that removing the bike lanes from Jarvis and re-inserting the fifth lane for cars, which runs south in the morning and north in the evening, will cost the city $300,000.

Dave Meslin, a cycling advocate, wore his girlfriend’s white bike helmet Wednesday because he just moved and his helmet was in a box.

“I’m here to make sure that Toronto doesn’t take a huge step backward,” Mr. Meslin said. “If this plan is adopted it will be the first year in Toronto’s history where we have a net loss in on-street bike lanes.”

Councillor Glenn de Baeremaeker, who rides to work every day, asked Mr. Koropeski whether removing bike lanes would increase the danger for cyclists.

“Bike lanes are certainly designed to increase bike safety,” he replied. “You are certainly not facilitating the trip as much when you remove the bike lanes.”